French president Macron’s Armenian Genocide remarks make headlines in Turkish press

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. The recent participation of French President Emmanuel Macron in the annual gala dinner of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France, and the president’s statements about the Armenian Genocide and the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, have appeared under the spotlight of Turkish media.

Turkish media alarmingly reported that Macron “has opened the Armenian Genocide folder”.

Millyet, one of the most-read Turkish newspaper, said that Macron participated in the dinner which was attended by famous people of the Armenian lobby. “As he had promised during his election campaign, Macron said that he will include the commemoration day of the so-called Armenian Genocide in the calendar. He listened to the demands of the Armenian lobby”, the newspaper said.

Sabah newspaper published the news with a headline saying “Macron’s Second Arrogant Speech” – reminding that the French president had recently expressed discontent over the Turkish military operations in Syria’s Afrin. “He continued his provocative conduct by bringing the events of 1915 to the agenda this time”, the newspaper said.

Another newspaper, Star, quoted Macron’s speech, when he had said: “The fight for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and justice is the fight of all of us. We are joining this fight by supporting the initiative of including the commemoration day of the genocide in the calendar”.

Haber7 wrote : “French President Emmanuel Macron, who has angered Ankara, who had said about the Olive Branch operation that it shouldn’t turn into an operation of occupying northern Syria, has announced that an Armenian Genocide commemoration day will be declared in France.

The Turkish NTV has quoted Macron and saying that “Armenian claims can once again be brought to the parliament”. “President of France Emmanuel Macron has said that the French Parliament can once again include the 1915 events in its agenda during the coming months”, the newspaper said.

Aksam news agency also mentioned Macron’s Armenian Genocide remarks, and also reported that the ethnic Armenian MP of Turkey Garo Paylan also attended the dinner.

Turkish news agency Ihlas published the news headlined Scandalous decision in France, mentioning that the Armenian Genocide commemoration day can officially be included in the French national calendar.

The nationalist Yenicag newspaper said “Macron continues anti-Turkish initiatives”. The newspaper also addressed the French President’s remarks about Nagorno Karabakh.

BirGun newspaper mentioned MP Paylan’s urge to Macron, where the ethnic Armenian lawmaker called on the French President to be vigilant about the developments in Afrin. The article was headlines HDP Party Member Paylan meets with French President Macron.

The German Deutsche Welle and Russian Sputnik news agencies have also covered the annual dinner in Paris.

Deutsche Welle headlined the article “Macron Opens the Armenian Folder”, and mentioned that the Turkish-French relations can once again suffer a crisis because of the Armenian Genocide issue. The German newspaper said Macron greeted Paylan, and said that people like him, who struggle for human rights, must receive support.

Macron’s remarks at the Armenian dinner in Paris made headlines in dozens of others Turkish newspapers.

Araks Kasyan